The Celtics are letting Ime Udoka go Scot-free.
The suspended Boston Celtics coach has been one of the biggest stories in the entire NBA over the past month. As you probably already know, it was revealed that Ime Udoka cheated on Nia Long with an employee of the Boston Celtics. Ime’s transgressions led to a one-year suspension that surprised many around the NBA. Since handing down the suspension, the Boston Celtics have been playing really well under Joe Mazzulla.
The Celtics look like a team that has made huge strides without their head coach, and it’s become pretty clear the Celtics have no intention on bringing him back. That said, one team is eager to welcome Udoka to their franchise. The Brooklyn Nets, who fired Steve Nash yesterday immediatly made it clear that they had every intention of hiring Ime Udoka. The coach is still technically employed by the Celtics, but Boston has essentially said they will let Udoka go to explore other opportunities.
Which is a little unusual, considering they are in the same division.
In a report from Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, a case was made for why the Celtics were eager to give up on Udoka. Simply put, it all has to do with how well interim coach Mazzulla has done. If the Celtics weren’t responding to him, Udoka would probably return at the end of the year.
Since that’s not the case, Udoka is free to leave.
“The Celtics, according to an NBA source, are willing to allow Udoka to coach for another team without compensation,” Washburn wrote. “That’s how much they’re ready to move on from this situation. Privately, they have been pleased with the progress of the franchise and the team under Joe Mazzulla’s leadership and are hoping to strip the interim tag in the coming months.”
There is no timetable for Ime Udoka joining the Nets, although it should happen fairly soon.
The Nets have jumped out to a 2-6 record, which is not good. Might as well add more drama to the mix.
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